37th trw hq renamed acker headquarters...

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Photo by Staff Sgt. Marissa Garner (From left) Retired Maj. Gen. William Acker and his wife, Nadine, are pictured with 37th Training Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Trent Edwards and his wife, Vanessa, as military traininginstructors from the 737th Training Group unveil a plaque dedicated to Acker during a building dedication ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Nov. 13. The 37th TRW headquarters building was renamed the Acker building, as a tribute to the former wing commander for his contributions to the current states of the wing and JBSA-Lackland. See story page 3.

37th TRW HQ renamed Acker Headquarters Building

TALESPINNER NOVEMBER 20, 2015commentary

This newspaper is published by EN Communities, a private fi rm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with JBSA-Lackland, Texas. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of the Talespinner are not necessarily the offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Air Force.

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Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland

Editorial Staff

BRIG. GEN. BOB LABRUTTA

502ND AIR BASE WING/JBSACOMMANDER

TODD G. WHITE

502ND ABW/JBSAPUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR

OSCAR BALLADARES

JBSA-LACKLAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS CHIEF

SENIOR AIRMAN LYNSIE NICHOLS

SENIOR AIRMAN KRYSTAL JEFFERS

PHOTOJOURNALIST JOURNEYMAN

JOSE T. GARZA, III SPORTS/STAFF WRITER

DOROTHY LONAS PAGE DESIGN/ILLUSTRATOR

By Tech. Sgt. David W. HardyJoint Base-Charleston Airman Leadership School

Leading by example can be a heavy burden, but it is the burden we choose to carry when

we don the uniform each day. As lead-ers, we should focus on showing others “how” to be an American Airman who embodies the core values. We should also explain “why” it matters to serve with the utmost integrity because the “who, what, when and where” will then fall into place.

For example, when I was in ammo, I trained Airmen on upgrade tasks. If I incorrectly showed them how, they would obviously err in their role. How-ever, if I failed to explain why it was important to follow technical orders, for example, the temptation may too great to cut corners in the future. It may also deprive them of pride in mission accom-plishment. My negative leader infl uence could then be contagious and spread to other areas of their job and life.

When you show someone how to

perform and explain why it is impor-tant, you get to the heart of the matter.

Airmen not only need more head knowledge; they need more heart knowledge. Airmen want to perform well and work on high-performing teams. We owe them the tools to be-come outstanding individuals who ac-complish incredible things as a team.

Show them the importance of wanting to always do things the right way rather than simply doing things the right way when some-one is looking.

Think about the kitchen fi ght scene in “The Break Up.” Jennifer Aniston browbeats Vince Vaughn into helping wash the dishes, but she doesn’t like that he is simply lending a hand. No, she states, “I want you to want to do the dishes,” which is something he can-not fathom. Many Airmen share these exact sentiments. Maybe you have felt the same way at some point in your career.

Our challenge is to get our Airmen to want to do the right thing. If we are going to exhort them, we must fi rst model exemplary behavior. This calls for inner refl ection; a sober assessment of ourselves is invaluable.

Take a deep look in the proverbial mirror and allow your inner light to provide a visible path for others to fol-low. Ethical leadership is contagious and it starts with you.

I know who, what, when and where … but why?

By Col. Kirsten Benford71st Medical Group commander Vance Air Force Base, Okla.

Motivation is an idea that is used to explain behavior. It is the reason for people’s actions, desires and

needs.What motivates you? Is it a pay raise,

promotion, family or friends?When I applied for an ROTC scholarship

back in the early 1980s, my motivation was monetary. I needed money for college. Many of us join the military for monetary reasons. Others join for travel, adventure and to see the world.

Occasionally, we need to refl ect and reevaluate our motives for being in the total force. What is curious to me is the number of people who stay in the military beyond their original commitment when they seem to have lost their initial motivation, enthusi-asm and zeal.

I entered the Air Force with a three-year commitment back in 1992. I stayed in the

Air Force because I appreciated the more level playing fi eld and opportunities for growth and development.

I have thoroughly enjoyed each job and “bloomed where I was planted.”

It is hard to stay motivated when you don’t get assigned the career fi eld or base that you really wanted. That being said, it helps to keep a positive attitude and be-lieve that things happen for a reason. We all can bring something to the fi ght if we stay motivated “in spite of” our temporary circumstances.

We need to remind ourselves of the choice we made to be part of the total force and get excited about the fact that we can still serve.

Motivation, enthusiasm and a positive attitude are just as contagious as negativity. They help us push through trials, unmet expectations, undesired jobs and other disappointments.

When I walked around the 71st Medical Group after I fi rst arrived a few months ago, I couldn’t tell those happy to be here from those simply riding out their assignment. Everyone appeared motivated and enthusiastic about the role they were playing. I fed off that enthusiasm and moti-vation and wanted to be a better leader and help each of my team members succeed.

I was ecstatic when I was fi rst assigned to Vance. Then I “caught” the medical group enthusiasm fever and was motivated to keep up with the team.

Now I am “committed to excellence,” and want everyone I come in contact with to catch the fever as well.

What motivates you to succeed in your career?

Air Force because I appreciated the more

Courtesy graphic

Photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Muncy

NOVEMBER 20, 2015 TALESPINNER PAGE 3news502 isg/ja hosts retiree appreciation day

The Lackland Legal Assistance Office will be hosting a Retiree Appreciation Day Dec. 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will be assisting retiree and their dependents with estate planning documents. They will be able to obtain a testamentary will, powers of at-torney, and advanced medical directives.

No appointment is needed, but a com-pleted estate planning worksheet must be presented at the time of arrival. A worksheet may be obtained in one of three ways: pick-ing one up at the office, requesting one via email from [email protected], or obtaining online at https://aflegalassistance.law.af.mil/.

It is imperative that retirees plan for the future before there is a need to do so. If and when there is a finding of mental incapacity, it’s too late to have estate docu-ments prepared.

The office is located at 1701 Kenly Avenue, Suite 134. For information, call 671-3362.

holiday meals to go Save time during the hustle and bustle of the holidays by taking advantage of the Gateway Club’s holiday meals-to-go between Nov. 1 and Dec. 19.

Choose: Roast turkey (12–14 pounds) orGlazed Virginia Pit Ham (9–11 pounds)Pricing:• Turkey: $45/members or $50/nonmembers• Ham: $50/members or $55/nonmembersTurkey or ham meals include: cornbread

stuffing, whipped potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce and apple pie

Pricing for meals:• Turkey: $75/members or $80/nonmembers• Ham: $85/members or $90/nonmembers Place order by calling 645-7034 at least

two days in advance of pickup. Please add $15 to pick up freshly prepared hot meals and specify this at the time of order.

The last day to order is Dec. 17 and the last day to pick up is Dec. 19. No coupons accepted.

pace releases new ‘civilian airmen toolbox’

The Profession of Arms Center of Excellence released the Civilian Airmen Toolbox Oct. 19, which is committed to developing Air Force civilians with a professionalism-mindset, character and core values required to succeed.

The Civilian Airmen Toolbox is a new pro-fessionalism development instrument that

News in Brief

See NEWS IN BRIEF Page 9

By Staff Sgt. Marissa Garner502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

The 37th Training Wing Headquarters building was dedicated to former 37th TRW commander retired Maj. Gen. William Acker during a renaming ceremony Friday.

The ceremony of the newly named Acker Building (building 2484) signified a tribute not only to Acker, but to the entire team of commanders and chiefs who served during his tenure and led the charge in transforming the former Lackland Air Force Base, both inter-nally through quality of life efforts and cosmetically, said Tracy English, 37th TRW historian.

“Maj. Gen. Acker had a need to take care of the people here and the base as well,” English said. “He set the bar high and served as a guiding light for his staff.”

During Acker’s tenure as commander of the Air Force Military Training Center, the former name of the 37th TRW, from March 1979 to July 1981, Air Force Basic Training graduated 226,000 Airmen into the active duty and Reserve force.

“That may or may not seem like a lot, but you have to give it context,” said Brig. Gen. Trent Edwards, 37th TRW commander. “It was a massive response. We needed Airmen. When you think about what was happening in the world at that time, Maj. Gen. Acker and his team stepped up and answered our nation’s call.”

Under Acker’s command, Lackland hosted the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, during his exile in 1979.

“When all was said and done, the team provided internal and external security while people attempted to infil-trate the base, riots and not to mention the level of politics that were involved. Still, the mission went on and they grad-uated 73,000 Airmen that year.”

Several of Acker’s former command-ers, subordinates and friends attended the ceremony as a testament to his superb leadership and ability to inspire those he worked with and for, English said.

“I had good staff before and after, but

never had a team quite like this,” said Acker, speaking about the officers and Airmen he worked with at JBSA-Lackland from 1979-1981. “I don’t know of an-other staff in the Air Force that still meets after 35 years. We actually liked each other.”

Because of the cohesiveness of the staff and the vision to improve the former Lackland Air Force Base, five aging buildings, whose upkeep was extremely costly, were demolished and an addition-al 12 were built. The newly constructed buildings allowed for more personnel to carry out the extensive mission, while providing economical opportunities for local San Antonio business.

One of the largest and most noted contributions to the base are the aircraft park and the Military Training Instructor monument, both located behind the newly named Acker building.

The aircraft park, which surrounds the parade field in which the Air Force’s newest Airmen march on, was estab-lished to serve as a visual reminder of the ingenuity, sacrifice and professionalism of American Airmen. More than 15 true-to-size aircraft and a brief history of each of their roles in U.S. history

remain on display sharing Air Force heritage with more than 75,000 visitors to JBSA-Lackland annually.

After experiencing first hand the amount of effort, sacrifice and dedication to duty necessary to transform civilians in to highly capable Airmen, Acker led the initiative to construct the MTI monument. The monument celebrates and honors those past and present who are responsible for building the Air Force’s Enlisted Corps, Acker said.

During his speech, Acker did not mention many of his accomplishments, but focused on the people he believes helped him complete his vision for JBSA-Lackland.

“I can’t tell you how honored I am to be here today,” he said. “But I will say that when they said I did something, they really mean us. It’s really not about me; it’s about all of us.”

Some of those who served with Acker mention that he would never dismiss an idea from anyone that made sense and helped improve life and helped the mission. This included his wife.

“Most people don’t really know that when female recruits used to march during graduation in skirts it didn’t look like a very good military organization,” he said. “They were all different lengths. It was my wife who suggested that they would look a lot better in slacks and she was right.

“She’s always been my rock. When I get too low, she pulls me up, when I get too high, she pulls me back down,” said Acker, speaking about his wife, Nadine, who is affectionately known as “Scooter.” “She’s served us well over the years.”

At the closing of the event, the plaque that will be displayed at the entrance of the Acker building was unveiled and the current 37th TRW commander offered a final thought.

“Thank you, Maj. Gen. Acker for your leadership,” he said. “We are grateful for your service and the men and wom-en of the 37th Training Wing are proud to stand on your shoulders. You have left us a proud heritage, a tradition of honor and a legacy of valor. On this most important day, we salute you.”

37th TRW headquarters renamed for groundbreaking commander

Retired Maj. Gen. WIlliam Acker

TALESPINNER NOVEMBER 20, 2015

By E. Stephanie Hebert, Legal Assistance Attorney502nd Installation Support Group Judge Advocate

In June of 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued Security National Automotive Acceptance Company, LLC in Ohio federal court for engaging in unfair, deceptive and abusive acts in the collection of delinquent car payments from service members.

Service members who fail to pay their debts may face an involuntary allotment in some states and risk the renewal of their security clearance, but only after their alleged debts have been fully disputed in court. However, regardless of whether the debt is valid or not, service members shouldn’t be subjected to abu-sive and threatening debt collectors.

The CFPB complaint alleged that SNAAC threat-ened service members by falsely representing to them that, as a result of their delinquencies, they would be demoted, discharged and subject to other actions un-der the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

SNAAC further threatened to send their delinquent

debts to collection services, file lawsuits or immedi-ately start involuntary allotments from service mem-bers’ pay when the legal prerequisites to do so had not yet been met.

Following the complaint, SNAAC threatened to con-tact service members’ chain of commands with the intent to put pressure on service members to pay their delinquent debt.

These acts violate the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010.

SNAAC settled the lawsuit immediately, agreeing to pay $2.2 million in the form of credits and refunds to customers and an additional $1 million directly to CFPB. Further, it agreed to stop contacting any person other than the service member regarding a credit account, except to find out the service member’s con-tact information and may not make more than one call to the same third party to do so. They cannot disclose that the service member owes any debt or that the call relates to the collection it.

SNAAC also agreed to immediately stop any contact

with third parties upon receipt of the service mem-ber’s verbal or written request.

Perhaps the most important part of the settlement involves SNAAC’s agreement to discontinue the use of its contract which granted permission for SNAAC to contact the service member’s chain of command.

Service members shouldn’t receive abuse and threats from debt collectors and if any do experience any unlawful acts and practices, CFPB needs to know about it. Remember, there’s power in numbers. People can tell their story and file a consumer complaint at the CFPB website at http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/.

To talk with the legal office about rights against creditors, call Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland at 671-3362, JBSA-Randolph at 652-6781 or JBSA-Fort Sam Houston at 221-2282. For information and counseling on debt management, call Military and Family Readiness Centers at JBSA-Lackland at 671-3722, JBSA-Randolph at 652-5321 and JBSA-Fort Sam Houston at 221-2705.

CFPB sues SNAAC: another win for service members

By E. Stephanie Hebert, Legal Assistance Attorney502nd Installation Support Group Judge Advocate

The Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Legal Assistance Office, is run by the 502nd Air Base Wing Installation Support Group Judge Advocate, will be hosting a Retiree Appreciation Day Dec. 4 and will be assisting retirees and their dependents with estate planning documents from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Upon arrival at the event, customers will be asked to complete estate planning worksheets and will be offered the following documents: last will and testament, general power of attorney, special power of attorney, medical power of attorney, directive to physicians and disposition of remains.

Normally, appointments are required and retirees may sometimes feel rushed through the process due to the limited number of appointments and time during

each one to prepare all of the requested documents. Legal assistants must discuss basic estate planning

principles and then review, prepare and format the documents, which doesn’t allow much time to ask and answer questions.

In addition, active-duty service members usually take precedence, particularly in a deployment situa-tion, making estate planning appointments difficult to schedule for the retiree population.

However, no appointments are necessary for the event and the time period will be entirely devoted to retirees and their dependents.

If a person doesn’t properly plan for the future, their family members will have to do it instead and they may incur thousands of dollars in unnecessary legal fees that could have been avoided by planning ahead.

For example, if there aren’t medical and general powers of attorney in place when someone become in-

capacitated, their family may need to hire an attorney to initiate a guardianship proceeding on the person’s behalf that must be monitored by the court indefinitely. If there is no will, family members may be left to fight over assets, or, even worse, the probate judge may give the assets to an estranged relative.

The only way to ensure that someone and their es-tate are treated as they wish toward the end of their life is to make their wishes known now and in writing.

Perhaps the most important lesson to learn about estate planning is that once someone becomes men-tally impaired, it’s too late to have estate documents prepared. This places them, their spouse and children in a financial, emotional and legal predicament.

If a customer had estate documents prepared in the past, it may be time review them. Documents may need

Lackland Legal Assistance Office hosts retiree appreciation day

See RETIREE Page 9

NOVEMBER 20, 2015 TALESPINNER PAGE 5

By Lt Col Jennifer Spires25th Air Force Public Affairs

In an effort to more effi ciently and ef-fectively manage resources, a former 25th Air Force contracting offi ce realignedunder Air Combat Command as Acquisition Management Integration Center, Detachment 2, in a ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Nov. 4.

Randall J. McFadden, ACC AMIC director, welcomed the newly aligned team and explained the reason for the move from base-level contracting support to the AMIC construct.

“We tried to build an organization that provides a capability to the commander to get those acquisitions fast because it’s all about the mission,” McFadden said. “It’s about getting the mission done because that’s why we’re here.”

The AMIC provides a single point of control, integrated management, and a unique cradle-to-grave sustain-ment capability for major service ac-quisitions which is cost effective and responsive to the mission, according to its

organizational information.While AMIC, Det. 2, will remain at

JBSA-Lackland, Maj. Gen. Bradford J. Shwedo, 25th Air Force commander, said farewell to the group of former 25th Air Force Airmen by highlighting their excellence, service and commitment to mission accomplishment.

“What these Airmen do on a daily basis allows us to run critical programs like the Distributed Common Ground System, Air Force Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, Air Force National Tactical Integration and Air Force Digital Integration for Combat Engagement,” Shwedo said.

“Because of their work and continued vigilance, they allowed us to go get the bad guys,” Shwedo told the audience.

The contracting team of 45, which Shwedo termed “impressive” won best Government Purchase Card program in the Air Force in fi scal year 2013. They also won US Bank’s number one Air Force GPC team award. In 2010, the team won the Larry Kabase Memorial Award for Excellence in the “Classifi ed

Contracting” category. “With all of the great things they have

done, I have no doubt that as AMIC, Det. 2 they will continue to be the award win-ning and professionally driven experts who have supported us for the last 30 years,” Shwedo said.

In recognition of their efforts and successes, each civilian Airman was awarded the Civilian Outstanding Achievement Medal, while military Airmen were awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal.

Starting in the 1980s, the contract-ing offi ce supported the ISR NAF-then known as the Electronic Security Command. The contracting offi ce then moved to Security Hill and became part of the 668th Logistics Squadron in 1991. Finally in 2001, as the Air Intelligence Agency realigned under ACC, the con-tracting offi ce provided direct support to AIA.

The Air Force re-designated the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency under 25th Air Force Sept. 29, 2014, realigning it under

ACC as an operational ISR Numbered Air Force.

The primary focus of the 25th Air Force realignment was to establish an ISR NAF to enable closer synchronizationand integration of Air Force ISR activi-ties and effects.

By combining ISR aircraft, PED (production, exploitation and dissemina-tion), targeting and analysis under a sin-gle NAF focused on operational mission execution, employment, deployment, and readiness issues, the Air Force sim-plifi es the presentation of ISR forces to the combatant commanders.

25th Air Force Contracting Support realigns under ACC

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By Staff Sgt. Chelsea Browning59th Medical Wing Public Affairs

The 59th Medical Wing is home to the Diabetes Center of Excellence, a premier Air Force Medical Service spe-cialty clinic dedicated to providing stan-dardized diabetes care to benefi ciaries across the military health care system.

Composed of three sections - a clini-cal division, an outreach division, and a research division - the DCOE is staffed by board certifi ed endocrinologists, en-docrine fellows, internal medicine resi-dents, diabetes nurse practitioners, cer-tifi ed diabetes educators, an exercise physiologist, a dietician, a doctoral re-searcher, and licensed vocational nurses.

“The clinical footprint is the part that most people see, where we actu-ally take care of patients,” said Dr. Tom Sauerwein, DCOE director.

The blend of active duty, civilian, and contract personal provides refer-ral care to more than 50,000 TRICARE benefi ciaries. Within the clinical divi-sion, there are multiple areas of ex-pertise to include diabetes prevention, diabetes education, and diabetes man-agement.

As the subject matter expert for diabetes care, the DCOE’s research di-vision ensures that treatment methods and tools are up-to-date and precise. The division also validates the tools to ensure they work as designed.

“We’re involved in developing clini-cal practice guidelines, a part of clini-cal development necessary for making the 59th Medical Wing a high reliability organization,” Sauerwein said.

The outreach division’s approach to care is unique, compared to other

centers of excellences. “Most centers of excellences across

the United States (that are not military) try to bring patients to them because they do special surgeries,” explained Sauerwein. “We’re different because our main focus is outreach. Our focus is to teach everyone how to manage patients with diabetes.”

One educational resource is avail-able online: Diabetes Central is located on the Air Force Knowledge Exchange site. There, health care providers can fi nd slide presentations, teaching tools and other helpful resources.

“It’s all standardized diabetes care (and education), and on that platform the Air Force, Army and Navy all have access with their CAC. They can down-load and review all of our diabetes management/educational material,” Sauerwein said.

Some courses the DCOE offer are geared toward improving health care teams, such as the Diabetes Champion Course, which is available every six month. Most military treatment facili-ties typically send a physician or health care provider, a nurse and a technician to the training.

Health care providers from about 35 different military treatment facili-ties have already taken advantage of the three-day course.

“The teams come and learn how to manage patients with diabetes,” Sauerwein said. “If they can’t come in person, they can do it virtually. We’ve had seven classes thus far, with more than 90 learners attending the most recent course.

The outreach division also designed a virtual diabetes classroom where peo-

ple from other bases can attend and get Diabetes Self-Management Educa-tion that is recognized by the American Diabetes Association.

The DCOE also plays an integral part in graduate medical education, support-ing the 59th MDW’s internal medicine residency program and endocrinology fellowship program.

“We are the platform for the educa-tion. All of the internal medicine resi-dents rotate through the DCOE to learn about the management of complex dia-betes and insulin titration,” Sauerwein said. “We are also the only (source of) diabetes education for Air Force endo-crinology fellows.

“The DCOE is important to the 59th MDW because the wing’s vision is to provide quality patient-centered health care anywhere,” Sauerwein said.

“We help accomplish this by es-tablishing and providing standardized diabetes care across the military health system for the benefi t of all our pa-tients,” he added.

For more information about the DCOE, call 292-2000. “It’s Socraticteaching – leading the discussion to get to a conclusion rather than telling people the answer. This method helps people internalize lessons and recog-nize how it applies to them,” Ekstrand said.

The course includes fi ve training days, each approximately one month apart. The fi rst day focused on devel-oping effective leadership and building effective teams.

“Understanding the role of the pro-vider as a leader sets the foundation for the other things we’re going to discuss. We’re going to (learn about) tools to use

as a leader. But you have to understand your role as a leader fi rst in order to use these tools in leadership,” Ekstrand said.

Dr. Scott Jones, San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium dean, led class discussions about self-leadership and team build-ing. He believes everyone is a leader with something to contribute, especially in a health care HRO.

“Group oriented, team oriented cul-tures are more effective cultures for embracing patient safety. We have an inherent challenge in the military be-cause we tend to be hierarchical; we need to recognize that and intention-ally say, how are we going to counter that hierarchical nature of how we see the world and train leaders who under-stand the importance of teamwork and self-leadership so they can lead good teams,” Jones said.

“Everyone is a leader. The better question is, what kind of a leader are you?” he asked the students.

Future discussion topics will include mentoring, strategic vision, change management and managing confl ict.

“We all came into health care for a reason: to take care of patients. We want to do the right thing to take care of people, but we don’t always have the skills to do what we desire to do. The purpose here is to fi gure out how we get to that excellence. As an organiza-tion, how can we lead ourselves to that perfect patient experience?” Ekstrand said.

The next class is scheduled to be-gin in January. For more information, contact the 59th Medical Wing Gateway Academy at 292-8303.

DCOE: a unique entity within the 59th MDW

NOV. 21 Utsa vs. rice military appreciation Football game

Location: Alamodome, 100 Montana St., San AntonioTime: 6 p.m.Join fellow Roadrunner fans in honoring all veterans and ac-

tive military during the Military Appreciation game when UTSA takes on the Rice University Owls. Tailgating begins at 11 a.m. For tickets, call the UTSA Athletics Ticket Offi ce at 458-UTSA (8872). As a “thank you” to military personnel, generous do-nors have made tickets available for active duty and Reserve service members and their families. Call the UTSA Athletics offi ce at 458-8036 for more details.

One of the best things about ICE is that people can let service providers know when they do a great job, not just for poor service.

It takes fi ve minutes or less to submit a comment at http://ice.disa.mil.


Innovative ideas on display during Gateway Academy poster dayBy Staff Sgt. Michael Ellis59th Medical Wing Public Affairs

More than a dozen units present-ed their latest initiatives on improv-ing workflow efficiency in the work-place when the 59th Medical Wing’s Gateway Academy hosted the organization’s first Lean Poster Day Oct. 16 at the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center.

Developed by the wing’s Gateway Innovation Center and launched in November 2014, the Gateway Academy focuses on providing students with instruction from a myriad of experts in innovation, process improvement, leadership and customer service. Each student must conduct a process im-provement project over the duration of the class.

A poster day submission from 59th MDW Public Health was the focus of one such improvement project.

The Public Health Physical Health Assessments Office is responsible for reviewing Airmen’s annual health as-sessments and monitoring the status of their individual medical readiness.

Their project tracked the physi-cal health assessments and sought to reduce the “causes that would lead to a member being marked as ‘red,’” ex-plained Senior Airman Jessica Harris, 559th Aerospace Medicine Squadron public health technician.

The PHA cell started pulling data in June showing the number of assess-ments that were not being completed within the 30-day requirement that Airmen are given.

“If a member’s individual medi-cal readiness status shows they are red, they become ineligible for

worldwide deployment,” Harris said. “So if they receive a tasking during that timeframe, it now puts the mem-ber and the medical staff in a time crunch to get them cleared for that deployment.”

The primary cause? Physicians were not signing off on the PHAs on time, explained Harris. “There was an extreme shortage in manning, about 50 percent,” she said.

Harris also said the second leading cause for overdue assessments was members not completing their online assessments. Now, after consulting with members and others in the ap-proval process, the percentage of over-due PHAs has dropped from 32 per-cent in June to 27 percent in August.

“Overall, with an increase in

available medical staff, more PHAs are being processed and fewer are over-due. Lines of communication have im-proved between members of the health care team,” she added.

Another project that identified a need for better communication between the patient and provider involved administering the Prevnar 13 vaccine to elderly patients in the Internal Medicine Clinic.

In the United States, about 18,000 adults, 65 and older, die from pneumo-nia each year, according to the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases. Prevnar 13 protects against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria. It is not a required immunization, but it prevents pneumonia in elderly patients who are more susceptible.

Initially, this information was not being conveyed to the patient. An internal medicine team briefed tech-nicians, nurses and providers about the importance of counseling patients about the optional Prevnar 13.

Originally, they found that 32 per-cent of patients 65 years of age and older were not told about the bene-fits of the immunization. The process changed, patients began taking the vaccine, and this led to actual cost savings for the 59th Medical Wing.

Given the relative value unit – a measure used to calculate how much compensation is received from TRICARE for physician services – educating patients and having them take the Prevnar 13 vaccine was bringing back dollars.

The clinic was losing more than $2,400 – approximately $187 per patient over the course of two weeks, according to Harris.

The Internal Medicine Clinic hopes to continue providing exceptional health care and advice to TRICARE beneficiaries while recouping some of those lost dollars and it’s all because the academy is helping us get there, Harris added.

“The purpose for our Gateway Academy Lean Poster Day is to recog-nize our members for using teamwork and innovation to improve quality, ser-vice, and value,” said Senior Master Sgt. Alan Weary, 59th MDW Gateway Academy chief. “Their projects showed how the members of our organization are consistently improving processes to create the perfect patient experi-ence for all our beneficiaries.’”

The Gateway Academy is slated to host Lean Poster Days quarterly.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Michael EllisSenior Airman Jessica Harris, 559th Aerospace Medicine Squadron public health techni-cian, briefs Chief Master Sgt. Maurice James, 59th Medical Wing command chief, on the PHA cell’s recent initiative to help reduce the number of overdue annual health assess-ments Oct. 16 at the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center.


Story and photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Ellis59th Medical Wing Public Affairs

With a focus on pa-tient safety, 59th Medical Wing leadership and staff at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland met with industry-leading patient experience ex-perts Oct. 20-22 in a bid to achieve a sig-nificant organizational milestone – to become a high-reliability orga-nization

In the summer of 2014, Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Mark A. Ediger, Surgeon General of the Air Force, sought an out-side review aimed at bringing the industry’s best practices to the Air Force medical sys-tem. He launched the Trusted Care safety

science initiative with one purpose – to bring a proven high-reliability safety science program to the Air Force Medical Service.

Air Force senior lead-ers decided to seek help from civilian experts with experience in help-ing hospitals improve their safety programs.

Over the next year, military treatment facil-ities will implement the same methodology used at more than 800 civil-ian medical facilities.

“Our ultimate goal is to provide trusted care to patients, to diagnose and implement new practices at Air Force military treatment fa-cilities,” said Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Bart Iddins, 59th MDW commander. “Be-cause the 59th MDW

provides medical care across San Antonio, the impact of the safety initia-tive will be felt through-out the community.

“We owe our patients safe care and the perfect patient experience. We must leverage this op-portunity to its fullest,” he said.

The initiative will take place in three phases. This initial visit marked the first step in a series of steps estimated to

span 18 months. During the visit, the health care consultants toured wing facilities, conducted a di-agnostic assessment by surveying the work cli-mates and performed a common cause analysis.

“This first visit pri-marily focused on re-viewing records with patient safety and risk management staff,” said Army Col. John Ekstrand, 59th MDW chief medical officer.

After the diagnostic assessment visit, im-provements will be im-plemented to promote a safety culture during the second phase.

“We want to make it easy to do the right thing, and hard to do the wrong thing,” said Jenni-fer Martin, a consultant with Healthcare Perfor-mance Improvement.

The final phase will in-volve forming long-term habits and sustaining

a safety culture, a vi-tal step toward becoming a high-reliability organization, she added.

“They will help iden-tify gaps and develop sustainable solutions. They are not a one- or two-visit consulting firm we will never see again,” Ekstrand said. “They have a track record of working with hundreds of health care organiza-tions and improving the focus on patient safety.”

59th Medical Wing kicks off patient safety initiative

Maj. David Dennison, 359th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, briefs a group of health care consultants at the Randolph Clinic on Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Oct. 22. Dennison explained the new sanitization procedures that the clinic implemented to ensure patient safety.

As part of the 59th Medical Wing’s ongoing drive to provide the per-fect patient experience, the Air Force is opening 800 additional patient slots to TRICARE Prime beneficiaries ages 2 to 64 at the sought after North Central Federal Clinic.

Located at 17440 Henderson Pass, near

US 281 North and Loop 1604, the clinic saves pa-tients a trip across town when accessing common healthcare services. The clinic provides primary care, pharmacy, lab, ra-diology, mental health, patient education ser-vices and more, while still being integrated with the outstanding specialty

care support available at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center and San Antonio Military Medical Center.

The NCFC boasts a con-sistently high 97 percent patient satisfaction rate.

“Dr. Scott Monroe is awesome. He realized I needed immediate sur-gery and sent me to

SAMMC with a point of contact by name; they were waiting and took care of me quickly. Dr. Monroe has been my primary care manager for five years. I love him and his team. The people here are great from check in to check out,” one

North Central Federal Clinic adds 800 patient slots

See CLINIC Page 9


to be updated or replaced. The legal assistance offi ce will be able to review existing documents and help determine if new documents are needed.

People can obtain the worksheets prior to Dec. 4 by picking up a packet at the legal assistant offi ce or requesting one via email from [email protected]. Worksheets can also be completedat the Legal Assistance website by going to https://afl egalassistance.law.af.mil/, and clicking “Legal Work-sheets.”

If possible, customers should print each of the re-sulting summary worksheets and bring them to the event. The computer will assign numeric codes to the entered data and, if customers are unable to print the summaries, they must bring the codes to print the documents at the offi ce.

If unable to obtain the worksheets ahead of time, customers may complete them upon arrival. However, please note that space in the front offi ce is limited and we a large number of people are expected to attend this event.

For more information, call the Lackland Legal Assistance Offi ce at 671-3362.

RETIREE from Page 4

includes two sets of tools: civilian promotions and civilian Airmen awards.

Specifi cally, this set includes a detailed promotion script template, an accompanying checklist and an example memo explaining “how to” request Air Force funds to support the ceremony.

The second set is for civilian Airmen awards and is de-signed to be used by commanders and supervisors.

PACE provides tools to develop professional and resilient Airmen, which includes civilian Airmen.

For more information about the Civilian Airmen Toolbox, visit http://www.airman.af.mil/CivilianToolbox.aspx.

specialty care reFerrals

Many TRICARE Prime benefi ciaries receive primary care from providers in military medical hospital and clinics. Occasionally, they may need to receive specialty care. When this happens, they must receive a referral from their primary care manager.

Getting a referral makes sure the benefi ciary's regionalcontractor authorizes the care before an appointment is made. If the care is available at a military hospitalor clinic near the benefi ciary, and there is space available, they will be referred there fi rst. Military hospitals and clinics have 90 minutes to accept urgent referrals and two business days to accept referrals for routine care.

If the local military hospital or clinic does not accept the referral within that time, the benefi ciary will be referred to a network provider near by.

The benefi ciary's regional contractor will send a letter with the name and location of the benefi ciary's specialty provider. The letter will also state what care is authorized, the length of time the benefi ciary is authorized to receive that care, and the type and number of visits allowed before another referral is needed.

Before making an appointment with the specialty care provider, call your regional contractor 3-5 days after the PCM enters the referral to check the status. Try to take copies of medical records, X-rays and lab results with when seeing the specialist.

NEWS IN BRIEF from Page 3

patient reported through the Interactive Customer Evaluation system.

With six providers, across two different Patient-Centered Medical Home teams and 93 percent provider-team continuity, the clinic delivers comprehensive care. Additionally, the clinic affords reliable same-day acute appointment availability and all other appointment types – including physicals, wellness appointments, and follow-up care – are available within three days.

In addition to convenience, patients appreciate the level of provider engagement common at the clinic.

“PA Hojat is a great listener, asks good questions and she takes time with her patients. Great team! Great care,” another patient reported.

To join the NCFC family, call 1-800-444-5445 to request a PCM at the facility. A clinic enrollee, will continue to book appointments via their preferred route, including the Consult Appointment Manage-ment Offi ce at 916-9900; TRICARE Online at http://www.tricareonline.com; or by sending a RelayHealth (MiCare) secure message to their PCMH team, http://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/MiCare.

Clinic hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The NCFC does not provide emergency care services. In case of a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

• December 1 – First-Class Mail International®• December 1 – Priority Mail International® • December 8 – Priority Mail Express International® • December 15 – Standard Post™• December 19 – Global Express Guaranteed® • December 19 – First-Class Mail®• December 21 – Priority Mail® • December 23 – Priority MailExpress®The dates listed above are the earliest deadlinesfor interna tional and military mail.“Priority Mail Express postage refund eligibility is adjusted for shipments mailed Dec. 22-25.

To ensure that holiday mail and packages are de-livered in time for Christmas, the U.S. Postal Service recommends cus tomers observe the following mailing and shipping dead lines:

2015 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

For more information, call the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland post offi ce location at 671-0952.

CLINIC from Page 4

U.S. Air Force photo

JBSA SEXUAL ASSAULT HOTLINE • 808-SARC (7272)DOD SAFE HELPLINE • (877) 995-5247

JBSA CRISIS HOTLINE • 367-1213JBSA DUTY CHAPLAIN • 365-6420

JBSA Sexual Assault Prevention and Response

NOVEMBER 20, 2015 TALESPINNER PAGE 11PAGE 10 TALESPINNER NOVEMBER 20, 2015

‘Salute To Veterans’Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston celebrated Veterans at a ceremony, hosted by Lt. Gen. Perry L. Wig-

gins with key leaders from every military service branch, at MacArthur Parade Field Nov. 13. While celebrating all veterans, past and present; this ceremony gave special recognition to those who fought during the Vietnam War. The ceremony’s backdrop was the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall presented by the American Veterans Traveling Tribute. Each Vietnam Veteran was presented with a lapel pin recognizing their service. Wiggins is the command-ing general of U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) and senior Army commander of Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis.

As part of the U.S. Army North’s “Salute to Veterans” activities, the American Veterans Traveling Tribute, an 80 percent scale replica of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., was featured at MacArthur Field Nov. 10 through Friday. The traveling memorial had drawn hundreds of visitors that would not have been able to make the trip to the original memorial and allowed them to pay their respects to those who had given the ultimate sacrifi ce for their country.

The 323rd Army Band “Fort Sam’s Own,” under the lead-ership of Band Master Chief Warrant Offi cer 4 Thomas Hager, gets ready to perform during the “Salute To Veterans” event at MacArthur Field on Fort Sam Houston Friday, which honored veterans past and present for their service. The drum major is Sergeant 1st Class Luke Jefferson.

A salute battery from U.S. Army North performs during the “Salute To Veterans” event at MacArthur Field on Fort Sam Houston Friday, which honored veterans past and present for their service.

Vietnam and other military veterans show their approval during a vintage airplane fl yover, one part of the events during the “Salute To Veterans” event at MacArthur Field on Fort Sam Houston Friday, which honored veterans past and present for their service.

Retired Army Lt. Col. Daniel C. Martin, dressed in a World War II-vintage uniform, mans a mock radio desk at one of the static displays at the “Salute To Veter-ans” event at MacArthur Field on Fort Sam Houston Friday.

Retired Army Lt. Col. Daniel C. Martin, dressed in a World War II-vintage uniform, mans a mock radio desk at one of the static displays at the “Salute To Veter-ans” event at MacArthur Field on Fort Sam Houston Friday.

Photos by Sgt. 1st Class

Wynn Hoke and Luis DeyaVietnam veterans from all braches of military service line up to be recognized during the “Salute To Veterans” event at MacArthur Field on Fort Sam Houston Friday.


By TRICARE.mil Communications DivisionDefense Health Agency

It’s time for open enrollment; the time of year when people can enroll in or change their health insurance plan. The open en-rollment period for HealthCare.gov is Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 for 2016 coverage.

How does this affect you? Most TRICARE beneficiaries don’t need to worry about open enroll-ment. However, for beneficiaries who are not eligible for TRICARE coverage, have lost or are los-ing coverage, or may qualify to purchase a TRICARE premium-based health plan you can uti-lize this open enrollment period to see if there are other health coverage options that work best for you and your family.

If you want to explore your local coverage options outside of TRICARE, go to http://www. HealthCare.gov. You can find out if you qualify for financial assis-tance and review coverage plans offered in your area without hav-ing to submit an application. Just indicate that you don’t currently have coverage when using the portal.

When using the portal, go to the “Individual and Families” tab on HealthCare.gov, and click the “Get Coverage” tab. From there, click the “$ Will You Save?” section near the middle of the page. After selecting your initial options, use “Get Ready to Apply” where you can enter family size, income and your state and/or zip code of residence to get an esti-mate of available coverage and costs, including available plans, premiums and cost shares. If you are under 30, you can get personalized health coverage op-tions on http://www.HealthCare.gov.

After exploring the Health In-surance Marketplace options, you can use TRICARE.mil to compare TRICARE premium based coverage and costs to the marketplace plans. You can also

compare TRICARE plans online with our “Compare Plans” tool. If you need additional help, call the toll free line at 800-318-2596, or for the hearing and speech impaired dial 855-889-4324, or contact a local person or group in your area for assistance. Visit their “Contact Us” page to enter a Zip code to find contact infor-mation for individuals and orga-nizations in your area.

If you are currently enrolled in a premium based TRICARE plan and decide to use a non-TRICARE option, you need to submit a disen-rollment request to your TRICARE regional contractor.

Be sure not to disenroll from your current TRICARE coverage until you confirm the start date of your new coverage so that there is no gap in coverage and you aren’t penalized or pay a tax penalty for each month that you and the other individuals listed on your tax form do not have coverage.

Once the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System

records your disenrollment date, the Defense Manpower Data Center responds to que-ries from the Federal Hub that you do not have minimum es-sential coverage from the Department of Defense.

Beneficiaries losing TRICARE coverage due to separation or discharge, divorce, aging out, etc., may qualify to enroll for alternate coverage during a special enrollment period. They must apply for marketplace coverage within 60 day of losing their TRICARE coverage. You can find more information online at HealthCare.gov.

Don’t forget that the Afford-able Care Act requires most Americans, including TRICARE beneficiaries and Department Of Defense employees, have mini-mum essential coverage. Most TRICARE plans meet this requirement, but if you want to explore health care options out-side of TRICARE, make sure to visit HealthCare.gov during open enrollment.

What TRICARE beneficiaries need to know about open enrollment, marketplace

Courtesy photo


A few precautions help ensure a safe Thanksgiving

Illustration courtesy National Fire Protection Association

For current, automated information during a natural disaster, crisis or emergency, call your local Straight Talk line.•JBSA-Fort Sam Houston: 466-4630

•JBSA-Lackland: 671-6397 • JBSA-Randolph: 652-7469

Straight Talk Line

By Tech. Sgt. Michael A. EvansOccupational Safety Specialist 502d Air Base Wing Safety Offi ce

The kitchen is the heart of the home, especially at Thanksgiving. With all the activity that will be going on, safety in the kitchen is paramount.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28, 2013) was the leading date for home cooking fi res with 1,550, which is 230 percent above the average number of fi res per day.

Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fi res, according to the NFPA, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fi res and fi re deaths. Cooking equipment is the leading cause of home structure fi res and asso-ciated civilian injuries and was the third leading cause of home fi re deaths.

When it comes to risk management, many people forget just how dangerous cooking can be, espe-cially when additional “cooks” and adult beverages are thrown into the mix.

Typically, home fi res on Thanksgiving will nearly double the rate of any other day. We all want to show off our culinary abilities, but all too often disregard common sense and normal safety pre-cautions. Additionally, your house is usually full of

family and friends, which makes the potential of injury that much greater.

The following are some tips that will help better protect you and our family this Thanksgiving:

• Check your smoke alarm’s batteries the day before to make sure they are functional.

• Check your fi re extinguisher. Make sure you know where it is and that it’s functional. Also, make sure you have an appropriate extinguisher for the type of cooking you’ll be doing. Not all extinguishers are registered for grease fi res and will do little to stop them.

• Cook as much as possible before ThanksgivingDay. That way, you won’t be overloading your oven. Many fi res are the result of trying to cram too many things into one oven.

• Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.

• Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.

• Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dan-gling off the counter within easy reach of a child.

• In addition, if you choose to use a turkey fryer, here are some safer use tips:

• Deep-frying your turkey is one of the most hazardous things you can attempt to cook. Make sure you follow all of the instructions on your fryer or consider an alternate method of cooking.

• Only use turkey fryers outdoors; away from any building or material that can catch fi re; in full view.

• Make sure there is at least two feet of space between the liquid propane tank and the fryer burner.

• Never place the fryer on wooden decks or under a garage, carport, or breezeway.

• Never leave fryer unattended; monitor temperature closely.

• If any smoke at all comes from the heating pot of oil, turn the burner off immediately – this means the oil is too hot.

• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and dried before adding to the oil; water and ice crystals can cause the oil to splatter or spill over.

Thanksgiving, like all holidays, is often an excuse to pour a little more wine or have a couple more beers or mixed drinks. Don’t overdo it and don’t drink and drive. If a family member or guest has too many drinks, offer to call them a cab or provide a comfy couch for them to sleep on.

During this Thanksgiving Day, remember to give thanks and enjoy spending time with family and friends, while indulging in some delicious food. Some simple preparations will ensure that it stays fun from start to fi nish. For additional safety tips, visit http://www.nfpa.org.

Sta� Sgt. Traci R. L’EcuyerUnit: 59th Medical Operations SquadronDuty title: Medical technicianTime in service: 6 years, 7 monthsHometown: Palmer, Ala.

“Staff Sgt. L’Ecuyer, Internal Medicine Clinic medical technician, places her duties and the Air Force fi rst. She maintains the highest standards of dress and appearance, always positive, possess excellent military bearing and pays keen attention to customs and courtesies. L’Ecuyer has trained 13 technicians on the Tri-Service Work Flow-Core Preventative Medicine requirements and Air Force Medical Operations Agency standards. She helped devised an age and disease require-ments how-to worksheet for internal medicine patients. In addition, L’Ecuyer serves as the alternate 59th Medical Operations Squadron unit fi tness program manager; tracking 325 members and overseeing 28 physical training leaders. L’Ecuyer has also completed 142 hours of shadowing medical providers and fi ve semester hours for the physician Assistant Program. In addition to work duties, she is involved in the community. For Habitat for Humanity, she led a group in calking fl oors, painting walls and building a fence. It is for these reasons that L’Ecuyer is truly ‘Diamond Sharp.’”

– Master Sgt. Teodoro Nunez59th MDOS fi rst sergeant

Tech. Sgt. Trevor TiernanUnit: 3rd Combat Camera SquadronDuty title: Combat photojournalistTime in service: 18 Years, 4 MonthsHometown: Liverpool, United Kingdom

“Tech. Sgt. Trevor Tiernan is a driving force in keeping the 3rd Combat Camera Squadron fi ring on all cylinders despite a whirlwind of an operations tempo. He is the acting fl ight chief of the documentation fl ight that comprises seven NCOs and 13 Airmen with three deployed. Responsible for upgrade training and mission coordination, Tiernan’s team executes photo and video documentation for everything from ba-sic military training to the Veterans in Blue program above Air Force pioneers. Tiernan also proved himself a true technician when he recently covered United States Air Forces in Europe’s implementation of the fi rst civilian commercial drivers course. He is truly a shining example of an Airman and a vital part to the success of the 3rd CTCS.”

– Master Sgt. Rico L. Sison3rd CTCS Additional Duty First Sgt

TALESPINNER NOVEMBER 20, 2015 community

Air Force Aid Society 671-3722Airman & Family Readiness Center 671-3722Airman’s Attic 671-1780American Red Cross 844-4225Base Post Offi ce 671-1058Bowling Center 671-2271DEERS 800-538-9552Exceptional Family Member Program 671-3722Family Child Care 671-3376Legal Offi ce 671-3362Library 671-3610Medical Appointment Line 916-9900MPF ID Cards 671-6006Outdoor Recreation 925-5532TRICARE Info 800-444-5445Thrift Shop 671-3608

Enlisted Spouses’ Club http://www.lacklandesc.orgForce Support Squadron http://www.lacklandfss.comLackland ISD http://www.lacklandisd.netOffi cers’ Spouses’ Club http://www.lacklandosc.orgJBSA Public website http://www.jbsa.milMy Air Force Life http://www.MyAirForceLife.com

JBSA-LACKLAND KEY FAMILY SUPPORT RESOURCES CHAPEL SERVICES

For more details, contact Freedom Chapel - 671-4208 • Gateway Chapel - 671-2911

—PROTESTANT WORSHIP SERVICESFreedom Chapel – Building 1528Contemporary Service Sun. 9:30 a.m.

Religious Education Sun. 11:00 a.m.

Gospel Service Sun. 12:30 p.m.

Spanish Service Sun. 3:00 p.m.

LITURGICAL SERVICEAirman Memorial Chapel – Building 5432 Sun. 8:00 a.m

CHURCH OF CHRISTNew BMT Reception Center – Building 6330 Sun. 7:30 a.m. (Rm. 175)

SEVENTH - DAY ADVENTISTGateway Chapel – Building 6300 Sat. 12:30 p.m.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCENew BMT Reception Center – Building 6330 Sun. 7:30 a.m. (Rm. 112)

—ORTHODOX CHRISTIANAirmen Memorial Chapel – Building 5432 Sun. 9:30 a.m.

—WICCANew BMT Reception Center – Building 6330Sun. 9:00 – 11:00 (Auditorium)

Freedom Chapel – Building 1528Wicca Open Circle 1st Tues. 6 – 7 p.m.

—REFUGE STUDENT CENTERBuilding 9122 (Tech Training & TDY Students) Wednesday 6 – 8 p.m.

Thursday 6 – 8 p.m.

Friday 6 – 11 p.m.

Saturday 12 – 9 p.m.

Sunday 11 – 5 p.m.

—JEWISHAirmen Memorial Chapel – Building 5432Sabbath & Kiddush Fri. 4:30 p.m.

Religious Education Sun. 1:30 p.m.

—ROMAN CATHOLICFreedom Chapel – Building 1528Religious Education Sun. 9:00 a.m.

Mass Sat. 5:00 p.m. Sun. 11:00 a.m.

Reconciliation Sat. 4:00 – 4:45 p.m.

Daily Mass Mon., Tues. & Thur. 11:30 a.m.

Note: Reconciliation(s) may be scheduled by appointment

—ISLAMICGlobal Ministry Center – Building 7452Jumu'ah Prayer Fri. 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

—BUDDISTNew BMT Reception Center – Building 6330 Sun. 10 a.m. (Rm. 175)

—ECKANKAR Gateway Chapel – Building 6300 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturdays 12:30 p.m.

—BAHA'IGateway Chapel – Building 6300 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sun. 11:00 a.m.

—THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTSGateway Chapel – Building 6300Religious Education Tues. 6:30 p.m.

LDS Institute Thurs. 6:30 p.m.

LDS Service Sun. 1:00 p.m.

FRIDAYinterview with conFidence

Review interviewing techniques and elements such as the elevator speech, ways to promote yourself, and how to answer questions Nov. 20 from noon to 2 p.m. at Arnold Hall. To reserve a seat, call 671-3722.

DEC. 1jbsa-lacKland annUal tree lighting

The annual tree lighting ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland begins at 6 p.m. at the Gateway Club main entrance. In addition to entertainment, Santa will be there to visit with children.

DEC. 3proFessional development coUrses

The 59th Medical Wing Career Assistance Advisor in association with the Gateway Performance System is hosting two professional development courses. Understanding the Enlisted Promotion System, Study Techniques and Resources will be at 8 a.m. and Leading, Coaching, Mentoring, and Empowering Effective

Team/members at 2 p.m. at Wilford Hall Innovation Center, Room 1C31. Register at https://cs3.eis.af.mil/sites/OO-ED-AE-25/Pathways/Regis-tration/Registration.aspx. Walk-ins are welcomed.

car bUying class

A car buying class is being held 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Military & Family Readiness Center. Knowing the facts, collect-ing the data and understanding the car purchasing process will help people control the overall car buying experience. Following certain steps and conducting a little research can save a person tens of thousands of dollars over the course of a lifetime. To register or for more information, call 671-3722.

DEC. 4proFessional development coUrses

Airmanship 101 will be taking place at 8 a.m. and the Airman Comprehensive Assessment Work-shop is at 2 p.m. The 59th Medical Wing Career Assistance Advisor in association with the Gateway Performance System, is hosting the professional development courses at Innovation Center, room 1C31.

Register at https://cs3.eis.af.mil/sites/OO-ED-AE-25/Pathways/Regis-tration/Registration.aspx. Walk-ins are welcomed.

INFORMATIONALcandy madness

During every Tuesdays in November from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. patrons that purchase a “Burger Basket” during this promotion will receive a free Snickers candy bar.

closed For training

The JBSA-Lackland Military & Family Readiness Center is closed every fi rst and third Thursdays for in-service training.

holiday closUres

The JBSA-Lackland Military & Family Readiness Center is sched-uled to close Nov. 26 and 27 in observation of Thanksgiving and the AETC Family day. For more informa-tion, call 671-3722.

JBSA Lackland Youth Program will be closed Nov. 26 in obser-vance of Thanksgiving, Dec. 25 in observance of Christmas and Jan. 1 in observance of the New Year. AETC Family Days will result in reduced hours for School Age Program from

6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 27, Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. All open recre-ation, teens, instructional and sports activities will be closed.

holiday in blUe

The U.S. Air Force Band of the West will be performing “Holiday in Blue” 3 p.m Dec. 5 and 7 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Edgewood Theater, 402 Lance St. The performance is free and open to the public. Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/. Non-ticket holders will be admitted 15 minutes prior to the performance.

FlU vaccines now available

Flu vaccines are available in the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center atrium for patients 9 years of age and older. The hours of service are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Vaccines are not available weekends, federal holidays or family down days. The pediatric vaccine for children 6 months to 8 years old is available in the primary care and immunizations clinics. Active duty members can retrieve shot records for themselves and any dependent under 16 at https://imr.afms.mil/imr/myimr.aspx.

For additional information, call 292-4278.

register For holiday camps

Enroll children ages 5 (in kinder-garten) to 12 years old, in the School Age Program for a safe and fun program to keep them occupied and engaged. To participate in the Dec. 21-25 camp, sign up by Dec. 7. The cost varies according to household income. Registrations after the initial due date will be subjected to a $15 late fee and are depen-dent on space available. Camps include off-site fi eld trips. Camps are closed during observed holidays and reduced hours on AETC Family Days. For additional information, call 671-2388.

holiday sports camp registration

Youth, ages 9-18, can sharpen sport skills at a 3-day sports camp that is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. To par-ticipate in the Basketball Camp Dec. 28-30, sign up by Dec. 14. The cost is $50 per youth. Registrations after the initial due date will be subjected to a $15 late fee and are dependent on space available. Lunches are included. For additional information, call 671-2388.

LOCAL BRIEFS


Congratulations to the following 52 Airmen for being selected as honor graduates among the 525 Air Force basic military trainees who graduated Nov. 13:

320th Training Squadron–Flight 593Jayson Cole Kristopher Dandridge Zain Hedrick Ryan Peters Zachary Sagstetter Nathan Sigler Galen Sullivan –Flight 594Scott Elliott Cameron Hamer Jesse Rehn Michael Siddall Kevin Sweeney –Flight 599Gerardo Alamilla –Flight 600Stacey Backus Jennifer Harrison Sarah Mock

323rd Training Squadron–Flight 595Kyle Johnson Spencer Rogers Nicholas WalkupRoman Welch –Flight 596Rachel Dones Elaine Nowak Ralecia Ogburn –Flight 601Jacob Carmichael Joseph Cristi

Sebastian Figueroa V Lucas Randolph Nikolas Schlosser Cole Sexton Guy Svehlek –Flight 602Kendon Freeman Chan Park Simon Sou

331st Training Squadron–Flight 597Joseph Boudreau Christopher Cheek Jacob Cottle Mark Fisher Nathaniel Holm Devyn Lee Tevin Manuel Garcia Ruiz A Dawson Saia Nigel Thompson Logan Vanleer Gilbert Yankson –Flight 598Matthew Hall Raji Jweinat Brandon Millington Joshua Root –Flight 603Thomas DowneyRobert Powell –Flight 604Skyler Fraga

Top BMT Airman Raji Jweinat331st TRS, Flight 598

Most Physically Fit–Female AirmenLydia Craig331st TRS, Flight 604

Allysa Figueroa323rd TRS, Flight 596Amy Rigenhagen331st TRS, Flight 604Amy Mora 323rd TRS, Flight 596–Male AirmenNicholas Johnson331st TRS, Flight 598Zachary Sagstetter320nd TRS, Flight 593Lucas Randolph323rd TRS, Flight 601James Thacker 331st TRS, Flight 598

–Female Flights331st TRS, Flight 604 323rd TRS, Flight 596320th TRS, Flight 600–Male Flights331st TRS, Flight 598320th TRS, Flight 594331st TRS, Flight 597331st TRS, Flight 603320th TRS, Flight 599323rd TRS, Flight 602323rd TRS, Flight 601323rd TRS, Flight 595320th TRS, Flight 593

Top Academic Flights331st TRS, Flight 597331st TRS, Flight 598 331st TRS, Flight 603320th TRS, Flight 593320th TRS, Flight 594 323rd TRS, Flight 601 323rd TRS, Flight 602 320th TRS, Flight 599323rd TRS, Flight 595320th TRS, Flight 600 331st TRS, Flight 604 323rd TRS, Flight 596

Congratulations to the following 56 Airmen for being selected as honor graduates among the 560 Air Force basic military trainees who graduated today:

321st Training Squadron–Flight 001Joshua Allison Jason Allred Jr. Caleb Fields Roel Utley II–Flight 002Patrick Bigner Jr. Jordan Goodwin Alexander Lyons Billy Nobles David Silva Cole Weiss –Flight 011Zachary Collins Nathanael Davis Gregory Dehne Kyle Kimrey Keefe Mcintosh Gerardo Nava Kameron Schmidt Mitchell Stadtmueller Jaramie York–Flight 012Benai Padilla

322nd Training Squadron–Flight 003Michael Depanicis Christopher Mcclain–Flight 004Stephanie Acevedo Georgia Franklin Chelsea Pierce-Westberry–Flight 009Cody Duff

Kip Guerrero Ian Hamilton Andrew Hartman Ethan Kilbride Benjamin Morgan Myles Peyton Stephen Scott 323rd Training Squadron–Flight 005Alexander Eon Nicholas Farmer Darrick Jones Marquette Richardson Joshua Smith–Flight 006Jeffrey Bailey-Oqueli Justin Draffen Justin Frederick Bradley Helton Jeremy Hoban Ralph Oswald Isaac Roseborough Richard Sawicki Sean Twerdak–Flight 007Everett Almeida III Jesse Champagne Jacob CorneliusCody Marden–Flight 008Emarie Bees Brittany Chandler Marky Drach Amanda Fried Brittany Landreth

Top BMT Airman Georgia Franklin 322nd TRS, Flight 004

Most Physically Fit–Female AirmenTessa Buxton 323rd TRS, Flight 008

Renee Arzola 323rd TRS, Flight 008 Kimberly Daniel 321st TRS, Flight 012 Amanda Fried 323rd TRS, Flight 008 –Male AirmenChase Livesay 323rd TRS, Flight 005 Daniel Vanwormer 322nd TRS, Flight 003 Ian Hamilton 322nd TRS, Flight 009 Clarence Wood III323rd TRS, Flight 007

–Female Flights323rd TRS, Flight 008 322nd TRS, Flight 004 321st TRS, Flight 012–Male Flights323rd TRS, Flight 006 323rd TRS, Flight 007 322nd TRS, Flight 003 321st TRS, Flight 011 323rd TRS, Flight 005 321st TRS, Flight 002 322nd TRS, Flight 009 322nd TRS, Flight 010 321st TRS, Flight 001

Top Academic Flights323rd TRS, Flight 005 323rd TRS, Flight 006 321st TRS, Flight 012 321st TRS, Flight 011 322nd TRS, Flight 009 322nd TRS, Flight 010 321st TRS, Flight 002 322nd TRS, Flight 003 323rd TRS, Flight 007 321st TRS, Flight 001 322nd TRS, Flight 004 323rd TRS, Flight 008

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Members of the public, military members, Department of Defense civilian and contractor employees may report suspicious activity concerning fraud, waste or abuse and employee or management misconduct.

Report suspected FWA to your local inspector general, the 502nd Air Base Wing IG or the DOD FWA Hotline.

502 ABW/IG FWA Hotline 808-1000, http://www.jbsa.af.mil/fwa.asp

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Fraud, Waste or Abuse


2015 JBSA Thanksgiving Holiday HoursLackland Activities Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thanksgiving Nov. 27 Nov. 28 Nov. 29

Arnold Hall Community Center 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. C L O S E D 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. 11:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Arts and Crafts C L O S E D 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. C L O S E D

Auto Hobby Shop C L O S E D 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Bowling Center 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. C L O S E D 11 a.m. to midnight 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Snack Bar 4 – 9 p.m. 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. 11 a.m.– 9 p.m. C L O S E D 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Gateway Child Development Program Normal Hours Normal Hours Normal Hours C L O S E D 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D

Kelly Child Development Program Normal Hours Normal Hours Normal Hours C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Lackland Child Development Program Normal Hours Normal Hours Normal Hours C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Lackland Family Child Care Normal Hours Normal Hours Normal Hours C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Gateway Club C L O S E D 4 – 10:30 p.m. 4 – 10:30 p.m. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Chaparral Fitness Center 5 a.m. – 10 p.m. 5 a.m. – 10 p.m. 5 a.m. – 10 p.m. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Medina Fitness Center 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. C L O S E D 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Gateway Fitness Center 5:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. 5:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. 5:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Kelly Fitness Center 6 a.m. – 3 p.m. 6 a.m. – 3 p.m. 6 a.m. – 3 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Gillum Fitness Center 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Warhawk Fitness Center 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Golf Course 6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. 6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. 6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. C L O S E D 6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. 6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. 6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Golf Course Snack Bar C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

ITT - Arnold Hall 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Outdoor Recreation 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Paintball Park C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 1 – 5 p.m.

Skylark Community Center C L O S E D 7 – 6 p.m. 7 – 11:30 p.m. 7 – 11:30 p.m. Noon to 11:30 p.m. Noon to midnight Noon to 7 p.m.

Smokin Joe’s BBQ C L O S E D C L O S E D 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. C L O S E D Noon to 11:30 p.m. Noon to midnight 11 a.m. to 4 pm.

Youth Program School Age Program Normal Hours Normal Hours Normal Hours C L O S E D 6:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D

Youth Program Open Recreation Normal Hours Normal Hours Normal Hours C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D C L O S E D

Skylark Swimming Pool Noon to 1 p.m. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. C L O S E D 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. C L O S E D

Open Swim 4 – 7 p.m. 4 – 7 p.m. 4 – 7 p.m. C L O S E D 4 – 7 p.m. C L O S E D C L O S E D

NOVEMBER 20, 2015 TALESPINNER PAGE 17sportsBy Jose T. Garza IIIJBSA-Lackland Public Affairs

A Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland defender will be competing in two categories at the 40th Annual Lackland Bodybuilding Classic Saturday at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk.

Senior Airman Joshua Boles, 802nd Security Forces Squadron patrolman, is confident he will do well in both the Men’s Physique Open and Military classes.

“I have worked hard to get where I am to-day,” he explained. “My mindset going into this competition is to compete and give myself a good chance to win both events.”

Before entering bodybuilding in 2013, Boles’ confidence wasn’t his strongest trait.

The 222-pound bodybuilder struggled with his size when he entered the Air Force four years ago, acknowledging he grew up being tall and lanky.

Boles aspired to be a pararescueman and had heard comments about not having the needed size to endure the physical challenges of the job.

“The label that society put on me started to bog me down,” he remembered. “It got me in a rut of believing that life is what everybody says it is and you are what life allows you to be. I became socially disconnected and, therefore, didn’t know how to make something out of myself. I wasn’t confident in myself and had low self-esteem because I didn’t like the way I look.”

Boles decided to make a change by taking up bodybuilding while deployed to Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

However, with minimal results after a year of

training, Boles’ confidence shrunk.“I was at rock bottom,” Boles said. “I did

everything I could to get bigger, change my life and rebuild myself, but nothing was working.”

A friend then educated him on proper nutri-

tion to help Boles achieve the desired results he craved.

“I started understanding nutrition and correct workout routines,” Boles said. “How you work out and eat changes everything. Three or four weeks of a good diet and workout plan will make you notice results.”

With a complete body transformation and newfound confidence, Boles has been eyeing the Lackland Bodybuilding Classic and doing well in his respective divisions to qualify for national competition.

Under the instruction of personal trainer Joe Wiest, Boles works out six days a week and eats six meals a day in preparation for the competition.

“I just want to stand on stage and see what I am capable of,” Boles said.

Weist believes Boles is capable of doing well on Saturday.

“His body structure and size symmetry is spot on,” he said. “He has put in the work to be successful in the competition.”

Boles said he would like to one day represent the Air Force in the Mr. Olympia contest, an annual bodybuilding competition hosted by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness.

“It would be an honor to represent the Air Force at that level,” he said. “You don’t hear about active duty members competing on that stage very often.”

Tickets for the Lackland Bodybuilding Classic are on sale at the JBSA-Lackland Fitness and Sports Office. Prejudging begins at 9 a.m., and the finals at 6:30 p.m. Prejudging tickets are $15 and finals are $30. Call 671-0854/2632 for more information.

Senior Airman hopeful going into Lackland Bodybuilding Classic

By Michael HorstmanJBSA-Lackland Weapons Safety Manager

Hunting is a tradition in Texas and across the coun-try. It is a time spent with family and friends in the woods perusing game.

This is also a time when risk assessment and man-agement can be used to great advantage. Hunting with archery equipment or firearms has some similarities, but there are also stark differences.

The first rule of hunting safely is for hunters to let someone know where they plan to be and when to expect them back. Current technology allows people to stay in contact much easier than in the past. It even lets them know where the hunter’s vehicle is parked and possibly how to get to their hunting location should

they not come home as scheduled.Anticipate the weather and wear clothing and

footwear designed for the correct conditions. Also, wear the required “Hunter Orange” so to be visible to other hunters.

Always keep any and all equipment in good order. Check firearms for any obstructions in barrel, and that the safety is functional. Check archery equipment to ensure the string is in good condition and the bow is not damaged. All of these can result in future damage or injury.

Make sure of the target. Hunters should not shoot unless they are certain that it is the game they intend to harvest. Shooting at a patch of brown can prove disastrous. Also, be sure the area past the intended target is clear. Bullets and even arrows do not always

stop when they hit the target.Be cautious when hunting from elevated positions.

Three points of contact when climbing and a harness in good shape are essential to stay in the stand. Long periods in a stand on a sunny day can cause people to drift off and a full body safety harness can come in handy. Being jarred awake at the end of a tether is better than waking up on the ground with a few broken bones.

These are just a few simple rules to help ensure an enjoyable time in the outdoors. This, along with com-mon courtesy for others that are out there, can go a long way toward ensuring an enjoyable and potentially successful hunt. Just remember there is nothing as im-portant as coming home safely from a memorable hunt.

The point of the hunt is not always at the sharp end of your arrow, but rather most of its significance is found within your heart.

Shoot straight, be aware, have a safe day in the woods.

Put safety first while hunting

Senior Airman Josh Boles, 802nd Security Forces Squadron patrolman, performs cable crossovers Nov. 5 at the Warhawk Fitness Center. Boles will compete at the 40th Annual Lackland Bodybuilding Classic Saturday at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk in the Men’s Physique Open and Military classes.